On the heels of the Brian Williams media crisis, another celebrity was caught up in a crisis similar to, and directly related to Williams. Bill O’Reilly, the Fox News commentator, was accused of the exact same misconduct in an article from Mother Jones magazine.

Quick review: Williams was suspended by NBC News when it became publicly known that Williams had exaggerated a claim from 2003 that he had almost been killed in Iraq. He claimed that he was riding in a helicopter when it took ground fire and was forced to make an emergency landing. The actual facts showed that he was in a group of 4 helicopters at the time and it was a helicopter in front of his that was hit. He was unaware of the danger until after the fact and on the ground.

There is nothing worse for anyone than to be caught in the cross hairs of the media. It can be a person, a company, or even a brand. What can you do if you make an honest mistake or if you are the victim of a negative campaign? How can you survive the experience?

The intent here is not to comment on Bill O’Reilly’ integrity or professionalism. Let’s analyze how his crisis unfolded and ask how you would handle the situation? How did O’Reilly do? Continue reading →

There is nothing worse for anyone than to be caught in the cross hairs of the media. It can be a person, a company, or even a brand. What can you do if you make an honest mistake or if you are the victim of a negative campaign? How can you survive the experience?